Sarasota, FL --- WPI punctuated it's best season in school history by finishing third in the varsity eight race and as a team at the NCAA Division III Women's Rowing Championships at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, FL. The team finish is the highest of any NCAA team sport in school history.

Bates won both the varsity eight and second varsity eight and claimed its second straight team title with 56 points while 2016 champion was second with 45 while WPI amassed 42 points following a fifth place in the grand final of the second varsity eight.

In the varsity eight grand final, WPI was a full second behind Ithaca for second place 500 meters in the race and then inched back with slightly quicker splits over the next two 500 meters but ultimately was unable to slip past the Bombers at the end. Bates won wire-to-wire in a time of 6:40.713 while Ithaca (6:44.886) crossed the line just ahead of the Engineers (6:44.886). NEWMAC rival Wellesley (6:49.935) was fourth followed by Wesleyan (6:49.935) in fifth while Pacific Lutheran (7:01.615) was sixth. Williams won the petite final in a head-to-head race with Washington College (MD) (7:04.740 to 7:13.44).

The Crimson and Gray's second varsity eight earned WPI valuable teams points with a fifth-place showing in its grand final race. The Engineers finished ahead of sixth place Pacific Lutheran by over five seconds (7:12.921 to 7:18.328) to assure that WPI would be in third place as a team after the varsity eight claimed bronze. Bates (6:52.037) edged Wellesley (6:53.715) in an entertaining race while Williams (7:02.157) was third and Wesleyan (7:08.352) fourth. The petite final saw Ithaca (7:26.678) defeat Washington (7:35.158) in a head-to-head race.